Downtown’s Report Springfield, Massachusetts Report of the Technical Assistance Panel Urban Land Institute Boston District Council October 2007 Downtown Springfield, MA ULI – Boston Technical Assistance Panel Report TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................ 2 Background..................................................................................................................... 2 Observations and Findings.............................................................................................. 2 Recommendations........................................................................................................... 2 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 4 I. BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................ 4 A. Technical Assistance Panels (TAPs) ...................................................................... 4 B. Urban Land Institute (ULI)..................................................................................... 4 C. ULI National Report ............................................................................................... 5 D. City of Springfield’s Objectives ............................................................................. 5 E. Subject Area............................................................................................................ 5 F. Panel of Experts and TAP Process.......................................................................... 6 II. OBSERVATIONS AND FINDINGS......................................................................... 9 A. Downtown Assets and Strengths ............................................................................ 9 B. Downtown Concerns and Liabilities..................................................................... 11 C. Current Initiatives................................................................................................. 14 III. RECOMMENDATIONS......................................................................................... 16 A. Planning Principles for Downtown Revitalization ............................................... 16 B. Address Perceptions Regarding Public Safety and Image.................................... 18 C. Leadership and Organizational Structure.............................................................. 20 D. Facilitate Organizational Changes to Promote Real Estate Development............ 24 E. Make Parking an Asset ......................................................................................... 24 F. Funding ................................................................................................................. 25 G. Physical Priorities and Framework for Revitalization.......................................... 27 IV. CONCLUSION........................................................................................................ 33 V. APPENDICES......................................................................................................... 34 Page 1 Downtown Springfield, MA ULI – Boston Technical Assistance Panel Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report is the result of meetings and investigations conducted by the Urban Land Institute Technical Advisory Panel (ULI TAP) of the Boston Chapter, working in conjunction with the City of Springfield, Massachusetts. The Panel gathered information through research and discussions and proposed ideas to support of the City’s stated goals and objectives. This Panel followed the 2006 ULI National Advisory Panel, which set forth recommendations for the entire city. This report refers to the National Panel and establishes priorities and guiding principles for revitalization Downtown, as well as providing a local perspective. Simultaneously, ULI Boston convened a panel on Springfield’s South End neighborhood. Background The City of Springfield requested that ULI-Boston help to address revitalization priorities. This TAP focused on a geographic area delineated by the Railroad tracks to the north, State Street to the south, the Springfield Armory to the east, and Interstate 91 to the west (Figure 1 of report). Panelists represented expertise in Urban Planning, Urban Design, Commercial Development and Banking, Housing Development, Architecture, Transportation Planning, and Parking Management. The City provided professional assistance and engagement throughout the project. MassDevelopment, a State-level economic development agency, was also continually involved. Given the complexity of Downtown’s issues and the foundation of the National Report, the process of this TAP consisted of two full days plus auxiliary meetings, a more extensive process than ULI-Boston’s typical one-day undertaking. Observations and Findings Downtown Springfield has many strengths. It possesses a breadth of architectural fabric, an historic built environment, and myriad cultural offerings. The layout is a textbook example of good urban design. One of Massachusetts’ only Business Improvement Districts (BID) provides maintenance and surveillance in the area, a dedicated corps of Downtown residents are active and organized, and the regional economy has experienced consistent growth. Like many historic downtowns, Springfield’s faces a variety of challenges. A reputation for crime and homelessness is hurting the investment climate, and the community and media tend to perpetuate this negative reputation. Office vacancy is particularly visible with vacancy rates of 28% in class C, and government-assisted housing units make up 71% of Downtown’s 2,500 housing units, with only 3.3% owner-occupancy. Municipal parking facilities experience high vacancies and low rates, and some longstanding art & cultural institutions are relocating. Recommendations The Panel offered a number of general principles to guide revitalization activities, as well as specific recommendations. Round-the-clock vitality should be introduced by establishing a balanced mix of housing, employment, and higher education uses. Market-rate housing is important in order to achieve balance, and public sector jobs may be a good target to start with. Existing downtown stakeholders – including the City itself – should lead by example, reviewing assumptions and assessing whether they can increase their contributions to downtown vitality. While immediate action is needed on many priorities, establishing a long-term view of progress is Page 2 Downtown Springfield, MA ULI – Boston Technical Assistance Panel Report also important. Active engagement and participation from all sectors, interests, and minority groups will be required for sustained change in Downtown. Steps should be taken to engage with local media to reshape public perceptions about Downtown. While real issues regarding blight and crime are apparent, the perception of crime appears to be worse than the reality, and addressing the real issues is definitely possible. Springfield need not wait for public safety to be “solved” before moving forward on development and revitalization. Consolidation of social services may help Downtown’s image as well as improve service quality. Several recommendations are provided around leadership and organizational structure. This is particularly important as the end of Control Board administration approaches. An organization with sufficient capacity to assemble land and negotiate real estate transactions is needed. The Panel identified stakeholder groups lacking leadership representation, and presented four possible entities to lead overall Downtown revitalization, with the suggestion that a new private nonprofit organization might be the best choice. Improving the functioning of Downtown’s parking system is important to successful revitalization. Well managed parking can be a valuable asset. A series of recommendations is offered to achieve this goal. The Panel discussed some ideas relative to overall funding. Options included increased State funding, matching funds for the Business Improvement District, funding from the BID itself, parking assets, federal sources, tax credits, and Community Development Block Grants. Organizational staff, Infrastructure, Parking, and Real Estate Development are funding priorities. Priority revitalization projects were identified based on a set of five principles: 1. Strengthen the “heart” of the City – Court Square to the Quadrangle; 2. Develop infill/downtown housing to support a dynamic community; 3. Provide services; 4. Use transportation infrastructure to enhance, not relocate, activity; and 5. Promote downtown identity and branding. Based on these principles, four projects were recommended as immediate priorities: 1) Occupancy at Court Square (Old First Church and 13-31 Elm Street); 2. Pynchon Plaza redevelopment / reopening; 3. Occupancy at the Main Street Federal Building, and 4. Redevelopment of the Civic Center parking garage and frontage on Dwight and Court Streets. An additional nine secondary projects were identified, including the redevelopment of Union Station, and connection of the riverfront bikeway to a larger regional system of trails. Page 3 Downtown Springfield, MA ULI – Boston Technical Assistance Panel Report INTRODUCTION This report is the result of meetings and investigations conducted by the Urban Land Institute Technical Advisory Panel (ULI TAP) of the Boston Chapter, a group of volunteers working